Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-12-21

" fun" of him in the
language of the schoolgirls, and ridiculed
his tow-colored locks and gawky limbs.
And he knew it, too; but instead of hating
her for it, he only loved her all the more as
divinity set far above him.
But when he returned home after five
years. course at college, situations changed.
He was still homely, but he was no longer
awkward, and his bashfulness became him
like the reserve of a cultivated nature. he
no longer blushed or fidgetted when he met
Mildred, and his friends said ''Seth has
got over the old love-
Had he? Do men get over case OF love,
IS If it were measles or mumps? They
might think so, but there was one person
who knew better. That was Mildred her.
self. He no longer blushed, but he turned
cold, and his voice trembled, though he
tried hard to steady it, and did steady it to
all ears but hers. She knew and felt that
tremcr that ran through his well-chosen
and carefully-modulated words. He might
deceive the world and himself-he could
not deceive her.
"Why don't you take wifea'' his mother
inquired, anxiously. ~
And he answered in the jocose vein Of
great wit.
Whose wife shall take motherP'
But one night he nearly ventured to re-
veal what was in his mind.
His mother had been urging him to marry.
She wished to go out West and settle with
an older child, daughter, but could not
bear to leave Seth alone.
So he preached the matter to Mildred as
he was seeing her home from church.
81 suppose he began, in true Yankee
style, ''that you know good many bright,
pretty girls who are housekeepers and would
a1v hot hot
Mildred had laughed aloud. 1t was an
actual truth, and at the very moment when
her fate was about to be decided.
We'll" she said, recovering herself,
'swhat was it you wanted?"
But he never finished it. When Christ
mas came he wrote her long, formal offer
of his heart and hand, and fastened the let
ter in the branches of the teachers Christ
mas tree at the church He said several
pretty things in it about giving himself and
all his possessions, for her acceptance, and
waited within sight of the church, intending
TO be on hand to walk home with her if she
would have him. The signal, to be the let
ter worn al her belt
But careless hand ignited the tree from
burning taper, and, in the panic which en-
sued. Seth saw a more fortunate rival bear
ing his Mildred to place of safety.
Soon after he lost another opportunity.
He was escorting her home when he sud
denly asked:
'Have you ever thought of m-m-oving
out West!"
It was so evident that he had not finished
his sentence as he intended to, that Mildred
laughed again. What possessed her!
CIVIL you give me good reference if I
do?" she asked, demurely.
Indeed will, Mildred" he answered,
81 ID
you know have always thought you were
the best-get out, you brute!' % they had
reached the gate, and a ferocious mastif
was worrying Mildred's lover. She soothed
him with word (the dog, not the lover),
and waited to hear more.
Goodnight" he said, and there was a.
world of meaning in the words; but the
most imaginative girl could hardly construe
it into an offer
Sand that is the man who can address q
jury and fascinate an audience with his or
story," thought Mildred, land yet he is
frightened to death at one poor little wom-
an I'll think no more of him."
Then she thought all the more of him,
and laid little innocent traps which always
sprung before he was in them
Years passed away; Seth was quite re-
spectacle old bachelor and Mildred was
Just turning the first corner toward being
an old maid, and the laggard in love had
never yet found the courage to say: "Mil-
dred, love YOU"
! It was Christmas eve. At the Hastings
homestead there was unusual quiet, and an
absence of the customary merrlment of past
seasons. Some of this was due to a letter
Father Hastings had received that day
which brought news from far country. A
guest invited to spend Christmas with them